Day 12 & 13 - Relaxing in Cairns

Sandy pool in central Cairns - kid heaven

Day 12 & 13 are about throttling back a little, catching up on domestic chores and dreaming up our next adventure.

We played at muddy's playground, followed by the skate park and the giant pool in central Cairns.

Tom quickly sniffed out a climbing wall next to the skate park and had another idea for a time lapse video.

 Just before the rain hit on Day 12 I was drawn to the impressive Russian Kamaz truck camped close by. The owner had labelled it the "The Beast". I'm a fan of the Dakar rally, so this drew me in - it turns out to be the same make of truck that has won a record 16 Dakar truck titles. I was lucky enough to be invited in for a peak and was impressed to see red gum bench tops, motorised bed lifters and all kinds of gadgets. The owners of the beast have been turning heads for the last 3 months as they travel through... well, absolutely anywhere... The Beast can tackle any terrain. Their biggest challenge is ducking up the street for milk and bread.

Josh on the Ferris wheel

It was a special treat this morning as Tom received a Skype call from his class. He took the kids on a tour of our tiny home, described our adventures and asked about what they had been up to. This was some relief for Tom who has begun to feel homesick.

Tomorrow we leave the caravan behind and make our way north to Cook Town via the Bloomfield track. Given we've had a reasonable amount of rain over the last 24 hours, the steep climbs and creek crossings might be just the test our mini beast has been waiting for.